In the Forests of the Night
by Deanie
Summary: Legolas Greenleaf, immortal elven warrior and Willow Rosenberg, human witch must join forces to keep a new evil from rising. BtVS/LotR crossover
1. Prologue

Title: In the Forests of the Night  
Author: Deanie  
Rating: PG13   
Pairing: Willow/Legolas  
Genre: BtVS/LotR Crossover.   
Disclaimer: Sadly, I do not own these characters. Willow and the Buffy crew belong to Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy. Lord of the Rings belongs to J.R.R. Tolkien.  
Distribution: please ask  
Author's Notes: For Buffy, this takes place early season seven after "Same Time, Same Place," but before "Selfless." For "Lord of the Rings," this story follows book/movie canon until after the Ring War, but becomes AU sometime after that.  
  
***Prologue***  
  
When he was young, he wandered the forests, tracing the footsteps of his ancestors through the tall trees. Nothing was more beautiful than the sun shining on a verdant glade on a summer morning. He was one with the forest, with the earth, as his people had been for eons before him. Life was simple...peaceful...and he had no doubts who he was, who he was meant to be.  
  
Then darkness fell across the land, and the once-plentiful peace became scarce. The dark lord brought forth great armies, and the people of Middle Earth went to war. He had been one of the few, the Fellowship. He'd been one of the victorious in the battle for Helm's Deep. He had watched his friend, the brother of his heart, ascend to the throne to lead the reunited people of the race of men.  
  
When the ring war was over, he had thought his mission completed. He had planned to join his family in the West, cross the sea to Valinor and live out the rest of his immortal life in the Undying Lands. The swift currents of fate, however, had a different direction in mind.  
  
A group of Maiar, led by Gandalf the White, made a vow not to let evil like that of Saruman and Sauron menace Middle Earth again. They sought out a select group of elves to be guardians of good, to be always watchful against evil, whether from Mordor or some other sinister source.  
  
He was chosen, and, being still a young elf despite his experiences in battle, relished the thought of a new adventure. His life and immortality had great purpose once more - to keep his people safe.  
  
Over time, the earth changed, and the homeland of his youth became unrecognizable. No longer could he find comfort in the forest, peace beside the gurgling streams. The trees ceased talking -- first to his people, then to each other - and grew stagnant.  
  
The contours of the earth itself changed, and as it did, the old ways passed away. The journey to Valinor had ceased to be a simple ride across the sea. The waters became perilous, the road harsh, until those that were left of his people could not make the passage at all, even if they so chose. They were trapped forever in a mortal world that was increasingly unaware of the presence of his kind. Trapped in a world that no longer believed in magic.  
  
His magic remained strong through the ages, and had served him well. But magic -- and immortality - set him apart from the world. The world of men devoted itself to "science," and as the magic faded from the land that was now known simply as "earth."  
  
And as the magic faded, so did his kind. Once many in number, the elven warriors soon became too few. And evil began to rise again. 


	2. And So It Begins

Chapter 1 - And So It Begins  
  
Legolas Greenleaf, former denizen of the Woodland Realm, was hunting. The Elven warrior had been tracking the Griann demon for days, following it back to its nest to destroy the demon's progeny before they hatched. One demon could produce hundreds of hatchlings, spelling doom for the quaint California town it now inhabited.   
  
He moved silently through the forest with the practice of long years. Too many years, it seemed at times. He had wandered through countless forests during his time in this world, destroyed many beasts, rarely encountering others of his kind as their numbers slowly dwindled.  
  
Most humans passed by without even noticing him, unable to penetrate the aura of magic that kept him separate from the modern world. There were those who might be able to see him - witches and other magic users, humans distantly descended from the elves of old, and anyone who had faith in magic still unseen. For that reason, he no longer wore the traditional clothes of his people - he had adopted period dress for most of his life. Nothing was quite as comfortable as elven-made clothing, but it would not do for him to give away his true nature... his "secret identity" as they would call it.  
  
Still, he was at home among the trees, more so than anywhere else in this land of steel and stone. The forests welcomed him, encompassing him with the few remnants that were left from his world. But this land where he now stood... Sunnydale. The name conjured old memories of his youth in the glades of Mirkwood, though there seemed to be something off about this place.  
It was like nothing he'd ever known before. He was unable explain his unease. The land seemed saturated with evil, the very air he breathed was permeated with darkness, though he did not know how that could be possible.   
  
He had heard of the "Boca del Infierno," the area the original Spanish settlers had referred to as the "Mouth of Hell." He'd thought it superstition created by those who feared the magic of their world. Who believed in hell? Perhaps he had more cynicism than most, growing up without an idea of "hell" - a strictly human idea, or so he thought.   
  
Legolas shook his head. True, evil was far more real than most people would ever suspect, but Hell? Could the myth of the Hellmouth be true? He would need to be greatly on his guard this night.  
  
Hoisting his bow higher, he continued his pursuit of the demon.  
  
****  
  
"I still don't understand why you have to go." Willow looked up from her packing as Buffy entered the room.  
  
Willow glanced over at Buffy, searching for the words to make her best friend understand, knowing that nothing she could say could convey the way she was feeling. Buffy didn't know what it was like to have such evil inside her, didn't have to fight the power that periodically threatened to consume her. Buffy hadn't been in England, learning from the Coven. She couldn't understand the connectedness of all living things, with Gaia, with the energy of the earth. Willow could barely understand it all in her own mind, let alone explain it to a non-Wicca.  
  
She breathed deeply, then began. "When I was in England, studying with the Coven, I learned a lot....everything is connected - us, the earth, the energy, the power... I can't explain it...to make you understand. In England, I felt connected, like I was a part of the magic, like I could control it instead of letting it take me over."  
  
She stopped, watching Buffy unintentionally recoil from her words. Even now, Buffy was afraid. The last time she'd lost control, Willow's power had been so strong she'd nearly destroyed the whole world. Even the Slayer hadn't been able to stop her. She'd been evil, the "Big Bad" out to annihilate all of humanity. She deserved Buffy's fear, scorn, even hate. So why did it hurt so much that her best friend feared her?  
  
"I'm not losing control, Buffy." She noted the blonde's skeptical expression. "I'm not. I'm in control. Control is me. I'm just starting to feel disconnected, like I'm not a part of the energy. I need to feel the connection, find my focus."  
  
"But why go away? You can focus here."  
  
Willow shook her head.   
  
"Will, I don't want you to leave. There's still something out there, something we can't identify is out to get us. From beneath you it devours, remember? I don't want you to be devoured."  
  
Willow smiled, pulling Buffy into a hug. "I'll be careful, I promise. No devouring."  
  
"Where are you going?" she asked, as Willow returned to packing things in her backpack.  
  
"Breaker's Woods. My parents' friends have this cabin, if I need it."  
  
"Cabin?" Buffy asked. She hadn't realized that this might be an extended trip.  
  
"I don't know if I'll be away long enough to need it," she reassured her friend. "I need to feel a part of the energy, reground myself to Gaia."  
  
"This is a Wicca thing that I'm just not going to understand, isn't it?"  
  
"Pretty much."   
  
"Be careful?"  
  
"Always."  
  
**** 


	3. Into the Woods

Author's Note: Thanks to everyone who has given me feedback so far. I appreciate it. And an extra-special thanks to my beta reader Sin, for such a quick and thorough job.  
  
  
Chapter 2 - Into the Woods  
  
In a clearing in Breaker's Woods, Willow sat silently on the ground. Concentrating, she pictured the energy of the earth running through her body, through the ground, through the trees and plants of the forest. All connected. Inhale. Exhale. Feeling the power of Gaia, connecting to the magic.   
  
She felt the wind on her face, the breeze that touched all things. Felt the cold creeping into her body, seeping up through the ground, unimpeded by the fading sunlight. She smelled the soft fragrance of the pine trees surrounding her. She was one with the earth, with the energy.  
  
Not that she was unprepared for trouble, with this being Sunnydale and all and her being out in the soon-to-be-darkness. She had a stake nearby, a crossbow in the bag at her side. No vampire was going to get her tonight. Of course, if some hell-beastie from below was going to rise up and devour her, her weapons might not be adequate...but with her connection to the earth, she'd be able to sense that long before it happened...she hoped.  
  
Focus, she reminded herself. Breathe and focus. She returned her thoughts to her meditation.  
  
****  
  
The vampire had caught her scent a mile away. Rarely were there humans in these woods at night. He had thought he'd have to travel far tonight to find food, but some stroke of luck had brought prey to him. He smiled. It was dinnertime.  
  
****  
  
Though the Griann demon and its kin had been slain, Legolas still felt an evil presence in the forest. Perhaps it was simply the darkness that permeated the air in this place, he thought, holding his head up, as if to hear the long-silent whisperings of the trees. He stood, silent and still, his keen elven senses intent on identifying the source of the evil. There! Treading heavily through the forest was another, likely a vampire, as he could not sense signs of life from its presence. Another sound caught his ear...a voice, a human woman, further away from his current position and right in the vampire's path. He had to stop the vampire before it could kill the woman. Quickly, he raced through the trees, hunting once more.  
  
****  
  
Something was coming. Willow could sense it with her magic long before she could hear its approach through the forest. Whether it was vamp or demon, whatever it was, was evil and heading right for her. She kept her eyes closed, appearing to continue her meditation while reaching back into her bag. Her hand clutched the comforting weight of the crossbow, and she slid it out of the bag. When the thing came for her, she'd be ready. 'I'm nobody's lunch,' she thought.  
  
****  
  
Legolas heard the vampire slowing down as it approached the clearing where the woman sat. Her words were clear now -- an invocation to the earth, a plea for a union with nature's energy - like nothing he'd heard in thousands of years. This young one had a connection with nature far beyond that of most humans - beyond nearly everyone he had known for thousands of years. She was in touch with the earth, rooted in its power....  
  
The snap of a twig under the vampire's feet roused Legolas to action. If he did not take action quickly, the girl in the clearing would perish. He silently pulled out his bow, and in one smooth movement, launched the arrow towards the unsuspecting vampire.  
  
****  
  
Willow said a quick prayer to the goddess before bringing her crossbow up, bolt in position. She whirled around, ready to take out any vamp that dared attack her...but all she saw was dust scattering in the wind.  
  
Dust? She knew there had been a vampire behind her. She hadn't imagined it. But there wasn't a vampire there now. Had Buffy followed her up here? She dismissed that thought, realizing that she would have felt her friend's presence if she had really been there. So, not Buffy. Then who could have dusted the vamp?  
  
Willow's eyes scanned the forest, but somehow, felt him before she saw him. The aura of his magic was strange, like nothing she'd ever felt before. There, at the edge of the clearing, bow still in hand, was the most gorgeous man she'd ever seen. She couldn't tear her eyes away from him. He appeared to be about her age, and, aside from the bow, could pass for any UC-Sunnydale student in his leather pants, green turtleneck, and leather jacket. More striking was his long blonde hair, falling down past his shoulders to mid-chest, and his skin, which seemed to glow in the pale moonlight. His eyes were haunted, full of depth and memories. He was an old soul...looked like he had been through hell and back again.  
  
Her gaze ran longingly over his face, taking in the sculpted cheekbones and...pointy ears? He had pointy ears? Did that make him not human, because most of them tended to be bad relationship choices... and when did she start thinking of a relationship with a strange, pointy-eared man she saw in the woods, even if he did save her from a vampire...  
  
Willow closed her eyes and took a deep breath, hoping to calm her racing thoughts, but when she opened her eyes he was gone...   
  
****  
  
Legolas retreated into the forest, shaken by what he had seen in her wide green eyes. Though a mere child compared to his thousands of years on the earth, he saw anguish within her that no one so young should have to face. Her innocence had been lost long ago, her belief in the world's goodness shattered. 'She was not as defenseless as I had first believed,' he thought, remembering the ease with which she held the crossbow. She knew of the darkness, of the monsters that lurked in the forest, yet braved them all to find her peace, her earth-connection. She was beautiful, with her hair the color of fire, and her voice was as melodious as the song of a woodland bird.   
  
He was tempted to stay, to talk with the enchanting creature who had captured his interest as no one had in millennia. But he could not. He had not survived for so long by becoming involved with mortals. Her life span was but the blink of an eye to an immortal elf. He still mourned the loss of his friends from Middle Earth so long ago. He would be ill advised to care for someone who would soon be gone from this world. His heart could not take such grief.   
  
So, he continued his journey through the woods. The vampire was not the only creature of evil present this night. There was work to be done.  
  
****  
  
He was gone. If he'd really been there at all. Could she have imagined him? She'd been under a lot of stress, after all, what with school, the Scooby gang, and trying not to degenerate into world-destroying evil. Anyone would be stressed....and imagine sexy, leather-clad, pointy-eared men in the forest.  
  
Who was she kidding? She'd finally gone completely and totally nuts. Waiting for the men in white to take her away and put her in the rubber room. And when had she started to find men sexy again, pointy-eared or not?   
  
She wasn't ready for this, wasn't ready to come back to Sunnydale. She should be in England, learning from Miss Hartness and the Coven. Goddess, her spell hadn't even worked. She didn't feel connected and rootsy anymore. She'd been trying to bring forth the same Paraguayan plant she'd conjured in England. But no luck. No plant.  
  
Willow turned to leave. She really needed to get back to the cabin. No telling what was left in the woods around here. There could be more vampires, or hell-monsters, or big, scary bears. As she started back to the cabin, her foot brushed up against something. Looking down, she saw a plant that hadn't been there before. Not the flora kua alaya, but something different. She inspected the plant. She'd seen it somewhere before, but where... then she remembered. Not from botany class, but from her magic books. It was Kingsfoil, which had been reportedly used for its healing properties long before the written word had appeared. Most modern-day botanists believed that it was pure myth.  
  
Maybe it wasn't as mythological as they'd thought. She couldn't have brought forth a mythological plant, could she? It had to have come from somewhere in the earth, right? Why Kingsfoil? Did she subconsciously think she needed healing? Willow shook her head. She didn't seem to know anything anymore...and she definitely couldn't control her magic like she needed to.  
  
What she did know was that she had to get back to the cabin before something else attacked. With a wave of her hand, the plant retreated into the earth, and Willow walked out of the clearing. 


	4. A Voice in the Dark

Chapter 3 - A Voice in the Dark  
  
With a flashlight in one hand and a crossbow in the other, Willow gingerly crept through the woods. She couldn't find the bracelet she had been wearing earlier in the day, and she thought it must have fallen off in the clearing, so she was out there looking for it... in the dark.  
  
Who was she kidding? She didn't care about the bracelet. Sure, it was made of pretty quartz, but it wasn't anything special, just something she'd gotten on sale at the Magic Box. She was in the woods, heading to the place where she had nearly been attacked by a vampire earlier that night, armed with a flashlight and a crossbow for one purpose - to see him again. Well, to see if she could see him again, assuming he wasn't just a figment of her over-stressed imagination.   
  
Willow hadn't been able to get the sexy, pointy-eared man out of her mind since she first saw him; his beautiful face haunted her every thought. He had to be real. Because if she were going crazy, then she didn't know what she was going to do. "I didn't imagine him. He's real," she repeated under her breath, scanning the dark, scary trees with her tiny little flashlight.   
  
She was in the forest, risking death by vampire, just to find out if he were real. To see him again, if indeed he could still be seen. She had to know, one way or another...and if he wasn't a figment of her imagination, she had to talk to him. Somehow, she had a feeling that she was meant to be out there... that he needed her.  
  
****  
  
He was surrounded. Legolas kept firing arrow after arrow, yet the vampires still came. He had never seen such a great number of the fell beasts in one location at the same time. The evil he had sensed was not only from the land on which he stood; all throughout the forest vampires roamed in large numbers, united as if with a single purpose. These were no mere random demon attacks. A great evil was present, and its time was at hand.   
  
He spared a quick glance at the quiver on his back. He was running low on arrows. His knives, still useful through these long years because of their superb elven craftsmanship, were not designed for decapitation. He was running out of options. Badly outnumbered, if he were forced into hand-to-hand combat with the vampires, he would fail. All he could do was his best, and hope it would be enough. He had always known that each day he fought evil could be his last. Perhaps it would not be long before he again saw his family in the Undying Lands.  
  
****  
  
As she traveled farther into the woods, Willow could make out faint sounds in the distance. It sounded like ... a battle? If something was fighting in the woods in the middle of the night, did she really want to know what it was? Vamps, demons ... any number of evil beasties could be hiding amongst the trees. She should get out while the going was good.  
  
But she couldn't, because somehow she knew that he was out there, and he needed her help. "Once more into the breach," she muttered, continuing on in the dark.  
  
****  
  
Legolas let his last arrow fly, effortlessly switching to his knives as the vampires came closer. They were usually fairly solitary creatures, hunting alone or in small groups, but these joined together in a concentrated effort to dispel their common foe. Even after he had already killed dozens of their members, they still attacked.   
  
He decapitated the nearest vampire in one smooth movement, kicking the next attacker out of his way. He swung out with his other hand, his knife slicing into the abdomen of the next foe, but despite the grievous wound, the vampire still attacked. "Anything else would be dead by now, but no, I had to be attacked by vampires..." he muttered, dodging the fist of a vampire twice his size.   
  
"Give up, elf," the vampire growled. "You can't win this fight."  
  
"I may not be able to win," Legolas declared. "But if I am going to die, I'm going to take you with me." The force needed to decapitate the large vampire was great it set the elf off balance, giving the others the opportunity to grab his other arm.  
  
He was yanked back into the waiting clutches of the vampires. Their preternatural might was too great for even his enhanced elven strength. They had him trapped.  
  
"Time to die." Legolas fought as the vampire pushed his head to one side, lowering his head, fangs poised to drink the elf's blood. Then, suddenly, the vampire disappeared in a cloud of dust.  
  
Legolas turned to look at his savior - it was her, the girl from the clearing. She was armed, and she was angry.  
  
****  
  
Willow hadn't really thought since she'd come upon the horde of vampires attacking the pointy-eared man, simply acted. If she'd thought, she might have come up with a better plan than firing her crossbow at them and drawing the attention of the nearly two dozen vampires in the clearing.   
But when she'd seen him so close to death, she couldn't help herself.  
  
Which left her up a very large creek without a paddle. The vampires were currently standing there, staring at her, as if they couldn't believe their eyes. Would have been better to have a plan before going all cavalry-like...but still... Too bad she didn't know a vampire-killing spell...or how to make fireballs or anything useful...   
  
Running. That could be a plan. If he could get away from the vamps, and they could somehow outrun them back to the cabin and be safe... who was she kidding. They were doomed.  
  
****  
  
She was brave as well as beautiful, Legolas thought. And right now, as doomed as he. Even if he could hold the evil ones back long enough for her to fire, she only had a few bolts remaining for her crossbow - not nearly enough to destroy all that were in the clearing. He was certain that even if they were able to kill many of their enemies, reinforcements would arrive.  
  
Still, he had a limited amount of time before the vampires would attack the girl. Perhaps he could delay them long enough for her to escape. He had to act now, while they were distracted. Pulling one arm free, he shoved the vamps holding him away and reached down to pick up his fallen knife. He quickly beheaded the only vampire still in striking distance, then started running towards her. "Run!" he yelled, fearing he would not be able to save her as two vampires began to move toward the girl.  
  
****  
  
Willow's stared at the group in the clearing. Okay. Demons-a-plenty. Coming closer. So much for her rescuing ability. Didn't matter a whit if they both ended up dead in the end.  
  
"Run!" She heard him yell as he broke away from the vampires and starting running towards her. Willow fired one last bolt at the nearest vampire and took off running.  
  
She was amazed at how quickly he caught up with her. He was speedy, in addition to being sexy. He grabbed her hand, pulling her along behind him. Willow was unable to see her way in the dark, but the pointy-eared man was amazingly surefooted, even over the rough terrain. She gasped for breath, but didn't hesitate to follow him. They both knew that the vampires were mere seconds behind them, and if they stopped they were both doomed.  
  
Suddenly he veered off to the side, and Willow realized he was going in the opposite direction of the cabin. "No!" She tugged on his hand. "Cabin." It was the only shelter for miles, and getting to a place that the vampires couldn't enter was their only chance at survival.  
  
****  
  
Legolas let the girl push him in the direction she desired to travel. If she truly had a cabin here, it could be a haven for them, protection from the vampires, who could not enter a human's dwelling uninvited. He felt hope surging within himself again. They may yet live until the dawn.  
  
He heard the vampires' footfalls, loud as they ran through the leaves and twigs on the forest floor. They were gaining.  
  
The first vampire caught up with them as they entered the clearing around the cabin. He exploded into dust as Willow pulled a stake from her pocket and found his heart. Legolas grabbed her crossbow, dispatching two nearby vamps with the last bolt.  
  
He pulled out his knives and prepared to stand his ground. He could at least hold them off long enough for the girl to get into the cabin.  
  
"Go!" He pushed her in the direction of the building, swinging into action as the vampires began to attack.  
  
Unarmed, Willow knew that she would be no help to him. But in the cabin...   
  
She raced for the door, slipping inside seconds before the vampire behind her slammed into the invisible barrier. She frantically looked through her bag. Now, where was it? "Aha!" she cried, pulling out glass bottles of holy water. If she could throw them hard enough to break on the vampires, she could hold them off long enough to save the pointy-eared man.   
  
Legolas knew that his fate had been sealed. He would die. He took consolation in the girl's safety inside her cabin. They would not be able to kill her as well.  
  
He heard a sound like glass shattering, and felt splatters of water. The vampires stepped back, smoking. Holy water.  
  
"Come on!" He heard her yell as she let another bottle fly.  
  
Racing with Elven speed, Legolas reached the cabin and slammed the door behind him. They were both inside and safe. 


	5. An Introduction of Sorts

Special thanks to my betas Valerie, Red, Canada, Darlene and   
Janetria.   
  
Part 4 - An Introduction of Sorts  
  
They were safe.   
  
Willow sighed. She'd really thought they were going to die out there. When she left the cabin earlier that night she knew that there might be danger lurking in the dark, but she'd never seen that many vamps in one place. Well, not since the Anointed One had tried to sacrifice her and her friends in an attempt to raise the Master... or since she'd tried to impersonate her evil alter-ego from a parallel dimension to save everyone at the Bronze... come to think of it, there were a lot of vampire gatherings in Sunnydale. The joys of living on the Hellmouth.  
  
Suddenly, she realized that he was staring at her. She wasn't crazy. The sexy, pointy-eared man was real. And, more to the point, he was standing in the cabin, staring at her. Willow met his gaze. He had the most gorgeous blue eyes, like the color of the ocean near sunset and she couldn't take her eyes off him.  
  
"I thank you, my lady," he began. "If you had not come along, I doubt that I would be alive to see another sunrise."  
  
"I came for you," she confessed, blurting out her true feelings before she'd stopped to think. "I saw you, before, or at least I thought I saw you. I was out in the forest tonight because I had to know if you were real."  
  
He hadn't been mistaken. She truly had seen him earlier. Her magical ability gave her insight into his world most humans lacked. "Most humans are unable to see me," he explained. "They have lost the ability to believe in magic, and magical creatures."  
  
Magical creatures? See! She'd known he wasn't human. "If you're not human, what are you?" Willow asked curiously.  
  
He took a deep breath before speaking words he had not spoken in many years. "Elf."  
  
Her eyes narrowed. An elf? Were they real? "Elves? Like, little people who make toys for Santa?" She peered at him suspiciously. Was he pulling her leg? Elves weren't real, were they? "Shouldn't you be shorter and have pointy shoes?"  
  
Legolas scowled. Trust her to bring up horrible conceptions of modern-day "elves." He mentally cursed whatever foul person had invented Santa's Elves. "I assure you, my lady... I am not short, nor do I have pointy shoes. And I most definitely do not work for Santa Claus. That is merely a horrible misconception invented by authors with severely misguided concepts of what elves truly are."  
  
Wow. A real, live elf. Well, a real, live cranky elf with a chip on his shoulder. "Touched a nerve, huh?"  
  
"You have no idea."  
  
"Sorry," she apologized. "I don't even believe in Santa, anyhow. Being Jewish, then a witch... Though Anya says that Santa is real, but he's this demon who eats children instead of leaving toys for them..." Acutely aware that she was babbling uncontrollably before the pointy-eared man... elf... she stopped. "Sorry. I'm babbling."  
  
Legolas smiled. Her voice was beautiful, her babbling charming. "There is nothing to apologize for, my lady."  
  
"I'm Willow." She smiled. "Willow Rosenberg."  
  
"Legolas Greenleaf, of the Woodland Realm."  
  
"Woodland Realm? Where is that, exactly?"  
  
A look of sadness crossed his face and he turned away, as if her question caused him unbearable pain. "It was in Middle Earth, long ago." He turned back to her and gave a weak smile. "My homeland, the places of my youth, have ceased to exist on these lands. They are long gone, but in the memories of those like me who still walk the roads of this earth."  
  
His speech was like nothing she'd heard. Eloquent and lyrical, with an old-fashioned charm. His smile was enchanting, but she could tell it was rarely used. The look of sadness more commonly seen on his face seemed to be far more comfortable for the elf. His air of weariness belied his youthful appearance.  
  
Willow jumped as the door shook and the windows rattled, thrust into motion by the vampires surrounding the house. She took a step back, farther away from the door. While the vamps couldn't get in, who knows what they would attempt from the outside.  
  
"We were fortunate that you had this cottage in the woods. It appears to be the only safe haven for miles."  
  
"Oh yeah. Really fortunate." Willow nodded nervously. Inside or not, they were still surrounded by a horde of cranky vamps. Not really 'safe' by any stretch of her imagination.  
  
"You are certain that there is no way for the evil ones to come inside?" he asked.  
  
The redhead pointed to a cross nailed on the wall by the door. "Just to be on the safe side, I made the place vampire-proof. Revoked any invitations they might have had in the past and warded all the doors and windows against evil." She shrugged. "Color me paranoid, but I wanted to know that I'd be safe here."  
  
He looked at her, startled. First the crossbow, then the magic in the woods, now this? Who - or what - was she? "How did you come to know so much about vampires?"  
  
Willow grinned at his stunned expression. Nice to know she could flummox an ancient magical being, especially since he was so cute while he was bewildered "It started with Buffy," she explained. "I met her my sophomore year in high school. Actually, it started when she saved me from a vampire our sophomore year of high school. You see, Buffy is the Slayer." Willow stopped, looking up at him. "You have heard of the Slayer, right?"  
  
"One girl in all the world..." He shook his head. "Such responsibility for one so young."  
  
"Yeah," Willow agreed. "Anyway, Buffy saved me from a vampire. That's how I first found out that they existed. Once I knew, I couldn't go back to pretending I didn't. Most people in Sunnydale walk around in a daze, pretending the world's safe when people are dying all around them. But I couldn't -- none of us could. So, we became the Slayerettes." At his look, she explained further. "We help Buffy with stuff. Research, magic, demon-slaying...whatever it takes, we're there."  
  
Legolas was puzzled. While he'd never met one personally, he was familiar with the mythology of the Slayers and their quest. "But the Slayer has always worked alone."  
  
"Maybe that's why they always die young. 'Cause they didn't have friends to help them, to get them through the rough times." She smiled. "Buffy's been the Slayer for 7 years now. It's a record. And, okay, so she's died...twice...but she's still going strong."  
  
Legolas couldn't help but stare. The Slayer had died twice and was still alive? How had she done it? Not even his immortal people could accomplish such a feat. Willow must have some fascinating stories to tell of her adventures.  
  
"What about you?" Willow asked curiously. "Why were you in the woods in the middle of the night nearly becoming a vampire bedtime snack?"  
  
Their conversation was interrupted when the ground began shaking beneath their feet.  
  
"Earthquake?" Willow wondered. This was Southern California, after all. Mother Nature could be responsible, right?  
  
"I fear the cause of this phenomenon is much more sinister." The evil in the woods was growing stronger. He could feel it. He purposefully strode towards the entrance to the cabin. He had to stop it.  
  
Willow jumped in front of Legolas as he was about to open the door. "Where do you think you're going?"  
  
He stared in her eyes, silently pleading with her to understand. He had a mission, one that could not be halted by a beautiful redheaded witch. "Those creatures are out in the woods planning great evil. I cannot simply stand here while they work their machinations."  
  
Willow planted her feet more firmly, trying to get him to see her, instead of through her. "Do you remember what's out there? Vampires. The same vampires that nearly killed us just a little while ago. And, in case it's escaped your attention, we're still outnumbered and out of weapons. If you go out there, they'll kill you." With her last word, she poked him I the chest with one finger.  
  
He smiled despite himself at the touch of her delicate finger against his chest. He could not let her stop him, despite how tempting it would be to stay here in safety with her. "And if I don't, they may kill someone else."   
  
Willow stared him down. She hadn't gone to the trouble of saving his life just to let him throw it away again. He was so stubborn. If only they had more weapons... or some supernatural back-up... "Oh!" she exclaimed. "I know. We'll call for help. Buffy can come, and bring weapons!" She reached into her pocket, pulling out her cell phone. "Demon hunting is better in groups. Less likely to get killed that way."  
  
She flipped open the top and held it up to her ear, but the phone didn't have a dial tone. She looked down, taking in the crack in her cell phone. Useless. The damn thing was broken and useless. She looked up hopefully at Legolas. "You don't happen to have a secret elven cell phone on you, do you?" He shook his head. "Of course not, why would an immortal elven monster slayer have a cell phone." She breathed deeply, trying to calm herself. "We're really on our own."  
  
"I have spent most of my life hunting demons alone. It makes no difference to me." He shook his head.  
  
"It does to me. We're a team... me, Buffy, Xander...and Giles, Dawn, Anya... We're the Scooby Gang." Her head dropped dejectedly and she looked away. If she went out there with him, would she ever see the Scoobies again?  
  
Legolas merely stared. 'Scooby Gang'? Was she referring to her friends, the 'Slayerettes' or was the gang another strange mystical society this witch and Slayer-friend belong to?  
  
Willow began to pace, making sure she kept herself between the elf and the door. He wasn't getting out that easily. "I came up here to feel connected. To Gaia, and the energy of life. Now I'm trapped with an elf and we're weaponless and alone and the only ones who know that there's a vampire convention in the woods out to do goddess-knows-what evil things. We're so not prepared." She stopped, struggling to catch her breath. "You're right. If we don't stop them, innocent people could die - but I don't have any idea how to stop them. I can't do this. I'm not ready..."  
  
Sensing her growing panic, Legolas placed one hand on Willow's arm, turning her to face him. "I have no doubt that Iluvatar led you in these woods this day for a purpose. You are meant to be here, now, to stop this evil threat."  
  
She felt herself calm with a simple touch of his hand. Maybe it was the wisdom she saw in his elven eyes, or the way his magic seemed to dance over her skin. Maybe it was more, the growing bond she felt between them. "How do you do it? Make me feel so calm, so peaceful with just a touch?"  
  
"I do not know." He leaned into her as she moved closer. "Perhaps it is the same thing that draws me to you."  
  
Willow closed in her eyes, swaying nearer to his body. She shouldn't want this, shouldn't feel this. He was a man... okay, an elf man, but a man... and she didn't like men anymore, did she? But somehow she couldn't fight what she was feeling. It was if she'd been waiting her whole life for him and she would die if she let him go.  
  
Legolas was similarly held in the sway of their bond. He had walked thousands of years upon this earth and had known many of the race of men, but none had called to his soul as this young woman did. He felt the aura of magic that permeated her, giving her the ability to see him so clearly, but more than a simple magical connection, she felt like the woman he had been waiting for throughout his long, immortal life.  
  
The two moved closer, bodies brushing against each other, lips inches away, unable to resist the siren's song of their attraction.   
  
Boom! At the sound of another explosion from the forest the two sprang apart.  
  
Suddenly, Willow felt in control. She was the same woman who had planned the Scooby activities the summer Buffy died, the same witch who had restored Angelus's soul, the friend who had been willing to give her life to save the ones she loved. She was Willow Rosenberg, and she was strong. She could do this. They could do this, and still live... if they did it right.   
  
She turned to Legolas, pacing in front of him. "Here's the plan. We go. Quietly. Sneak up on them. Find out what they're up to. Kill them if we get an opportunity, but that's not our primary focus. This is reconnaissance, not search and destroy." Willow whirled around, cutting off his protest. Legolas was about to become very familiar with her resolve face. "We can't tell anyone what they're up to if we're dead."  
  
"*We* are not going anywhere." He drew closer. Though she was courageous and determined, he would not let Willow lose her life in this quest.  
  
Okay, now she was confused. She looked up at him, trying to read his emotions in his eyes. All she could see was his resolve. "I thought you wanted to find out what the vampires were doing."  
  
"I do." He nodded, bringing one hand up to rest on her shoulder. "However, I am going out there; you are staying here where you will be safe." He idly ran his hand up and down her arm, needing the connection to her warmth.  
  
She was outraged. Stay here like some meek little girly-girl and let him go off by himself? Never. "And let you get yourself killed? I don't think so." She moved closer to him until they were mere inches apart.  
  
Closing his eyes, Legolas leaned forward until their foreheads were touching. "Willow, you are human, mortal. I am not."  
  
"Oh really." Willow moved back until he was looking right into her eyes, unable to avoid her penetrating gaze. "You're immortal? Can you survive exsanguination? Will you still be alive when the vamps hold you down and drain all the blood out of your body?"  
  
Legolas felt the shudder run through her body as she contemplated his death. He knew he could not survive such an attack. In some things, he was as vulnerable as any mortal man. She knew it, and she was calling him on it. This young woman who vehemently arguing about going with him was extraordinary. He couldn't remember when he'd last had someone care so much about his life.  
  
"Not arguing with me? Good. The last thing I want to do is go out there and have my only back-up be an elf with a death wish."  
  
"I do not wish to die, Willow." As he spoke, one hand brushed up against her face, cupping her cheek. "But I have lived a very long life. You, on the other hand, have not..."  
  
How was she supposed to think when his hands were touching her skin? Willow groaned. She had to concentrate. Legolas. Vampires. Death.   
  
"I do not want your death on my conscience if you do not survive," he whispered against her ear.  
  
"You think I want your death on my conscience if you go out there alone and die while I sit here all safe and cozy?" Willow pushed him away, her indignant reply echoing throughout the small room.   
  
He smiled again. No. She would not. She had not been born a Slayer, or elected by the Maiar to defend the universe against the dark forces. She had chosen this life herself, and she would not sit back and let others take risks she did not.  
  
"Why are you smiling?"  
  
"Because you've touched my heart." He turned around, moving restlessly, unable to face her after his confession. "Let us leave now, before their evil plans are complete."  
  
"Wait!" Willow swung his body around to face hers. She stepped closer until their bodies touched and raised herself up on her toes.  
  
Legolas stood, frozen in place as her lips came closer. It had been so long since he'd had the smallest bit of affection, but this...this tender caress of such a courageous girl... was too much for him to resist. She was life. She was peace. Holding her felt like coming home after wandering for so long. He swept her into his arms, his mouth melding to hers in a searing kiss.  
  
Willow gasped as his lips covered hers, reveled in the sensation of his firm body pressed to hers. She opened her mouth as his tongue sought entrance, savoring his unique taste. This was what she'd been waiting for her whole life.  
  
One kiss turned into two, then three, both distracted by the power in their intoxicating embrace. His hand slipped underneath her shirt, caressing the warm skin of her back, while her hands pushed his jacket off of his heated body.  
  
She wanted him. Here. Now. Forever. She needed him, and could tell that his need for her was just as great.  
  
Boom! Caught up in each other, they barely noticed the next explosion. The ground shaking beneath their feet seemed like a natural expression of their explosive passion.  
  
Willow pulled back momentarily, desperate for oxygen. Apparently in addition to super-human strength and agility elves also had super-human lung capacity, because he was barely breathing hard. Her body flushed with desire as she thought of putting his super-human stamina to good use.  
  
Boom!  
  
Still gasping for breath, Willow tried to place the noise. The booming was important. Because... "Vampires!"  
  
Legolas looked up as she yelled. Vampires. Right. Defeating evil. They were supposed to be thwarting evil, not giving into their all-consuming passion. "Willow, I..."  
  
"I know." She stopped him, her desire still very evident in her eyes. "This isn't the time. We have work to do. Vampires to stop."  
  
"Right," he agreed. "Let's go." Pulling on his coat, he strode over to the door, Willow following. "Be careful," he whispered.  
  
"You too."  
  
With a quick kiss, they were out the door, ready to face whatever was waiting for them in the night. 


	6. Apparitions in the Night

Thanks to my beta readers Sin, Canada, and Valerie...  
  
****  
  
Chapter 5 - Apparitions in the Night  
  
Deep in the forest, a shimmer appeared. Slowly it took form, coalescing into the demonic visage of a vampire known simply as The Master. While the evil wasn't truly the Master, the vampire made a more than adequate vessel for its purposes.  
  
The evil had no form. Older than time, older than space. It was, is, and always will be. It was the thing vampires, demons, and the forces of Darkness feared. It was the first. The First Evil. And it had big plans.  
  
Somewhere under the forest floor was the most evil object ever created. Forged by the dark lord thousands of years before, it was thought to be destroyed long ago. However, true evil cannot be destroyed, and it had merely stayed dormant, awaiting the moment when it would rise to life again.   
  
That time was now.  
  
****  
  
Willow crept through the woods behind Legolas, amazed at the way the elf didn't make a sound. He moved as though he were a part of the forest, effortlessly avoiding the rocks, leaves, and branches that covered the ground.  
  
Unlike herself, she thought, wincing as the crack of a branch echoed through the night. She looked down, knowing that the offending twig crunched under her feet, not his.  
  
Maybe she should have stayed back at the cabin. Elvishly silent, Legolas could sneak up on the vampires, but with their super-human hearing they'd likely hear Willow coming from a mile away. But how could she stay safely behind, knowing what he was risking against impossible odds, to save the world? She couldn't. She was a Slayerette. If she'd been able to stay behind instead of trying to save the world from evil, she'd have been gone from Sunnydale long ago.  
  
So she followed behind the sexy elf, hoping that her woodsy ineptitude wasn't going to be the cause of both of their deaths.  
  
As he stealthily made his way through the trees, Legolas felt the evil growing stronger. Not only were they getting close to its source, but the evil itself was gaining power. Something was rising from deep in the earth. A true evil, beyond all measure  
  
Behind him, Willow attempted her own version of stealth. Less successful, he admitted, but not bad for a city-raised human. Still, to retain the element of surprise -- if that was even possible, given their earlier attack -- they would have to come up with a better plan. Willow was incapable of the quiet needed to sneak up on beings with super-human senses.  
  
Nevertheless, he was grateful to have her by his side. Her magic was strong, her heart true. She was a brave warrior, willing to risk her very life to save her world. He vowed to keep her safe, whatever the cost. She was too precious to lose to the darkness.  
  
Boom!  
  
Another explosion rocked the forest, this time louder, closer. The trees shook, but not merely from the force of the blast. It was as if they trembled because they were unable to flee from the growing evil threatening to consume the woods.  
  
Willow and Legolas exchanged a worried look at the last blast. Whatever was out there either had big time weapons or powerful magics to cause such huge explosions. What could they possibly be looking for out in the forest in the middle of nowhere?   
  
Willow had previously studied topographical, geological, and historical maps of Sunnydale but didn't know of anything of interest out here in Breaker's Woods. No buried temples of evil gods, no weird geological formations, no strange mineral content... just trees.   
  
She looked at Legolas as a new thought occurred to her. No one really knew how old the Hellmouth was...and the evil in the air felt old...older than the Master, almost as old as the Hellmouth itself. What if the thing the big bad was looking for predated Sunnydale's written records? What if the evil present here was as old as Legolas?  
  
The elf put his arm in front of her, stopping her in her tracks. She followed his gaze, spotting two vampires, apparently on guard duty, about fifty feet away.  
  
Legolas swore silently. If he had arrows for his bow he could dispatch these foes without a sound, but he was weaponless. He had no doubt that he and Willow could defeat the two, armed with branches from the forest as makeshift stakes, but at what cost their victory? Would the sound of the fight bring the other vampires running to their rescue?  
  
Willow picked a stick up off the cold ground. She looked at the vampire on her right, indicating to Legolas that he should get closer to take out that vamp. He looked at her quizzically.  
  
She held out her hand, palm up, placing the stick on her outstretched hand. She stared at the small branch for a moment, and it began to rise in the air.  
  
Telekinesis. He understood. If he could silently kill the first vampire, she could take out his compatriot with a telekinetically directed branch-stake.  
  
Legolas crept closer, one eye on his target, the other on Willow's floating branch. Her target was still facing the opposite direction, unaware of the danger that was currently targeting him. Good. The immortal warrior moved in closer, knowing that he was going to have to silently defeat his opponent, stake him long before he could summon help.  
  
When the floating stake was inches away from the vampire's back, he began to turn around. Willow held her breath, hoping it would find its target quickly enough, before the guard vamp raised the alarm. The vampire spotted the stake floating in front of him, a puzzled expression on his face. Floating fatality, Willow thought, as she drove the stake into his heart.  
  
The other vampire turned to look as his partner turned to dust. Before he could say a word, Legolas leaped from the cover of the trees, plunging his stake into the vampire's back.  
  
Willow scampered down into the tiny clearing and the two continued their journey through the woods.  
  
****  
  
Meanwhile, farther ahead in the woods, evil lurked. Literally.  
  
Vampires hurried through the woods, setting explosive charges as directed. They had no idea how the Master had come to be resurrected, but he was there, leading them once more. The Master had a purpose -- he was looking for something...or someone.  
  
Victor was not a young vampire. He served under the Master, watched as Spike and Drusilla destroyed the Anointed One, escaped the carnage when the Mayor's plans for graduation day had gone awry. He'd been touched by evil -- hell, he was evil.  
  
Something was coming...he could feel it. Evil was rising from the earth, old magics long lost. Old evils, such as the Master, were returning. Finally, the day they had been waiting for was at hand. They would call upon the Dark Lord, and he would send forth his emissary. Together, with the vampires of Sunnydale, they would destroy humanity.  
  
Victor laughed in the darkness. It was a good day to be a vampire.  
  
****  
  
Willow and Legolas hadn't encountered any other guards on their journey to the site of evil's big plan. As they reached the top of a hill, they saw why. The vampires all appeared to be gathering in a moonlit clearing ahead of them.  
  
Silently, they dropped to the ground, peering through the bushes to observe the vampires' ritual. Oddly, there were multiple holes in the ground, and stuff that appeared to be explosives laying on the ground. "Dynamite. Sort of high tech for vampires," Willow whispered in his ear.  
  
Legolas nodded. Like elves, demons tended to be quite fond of the old ways.  
  
He surveyed the clearing. There were more than a dozen vamps in front of them, all in a circle around a pit. Torches blazed around the clearing, sending off sparks into the night sky. The vampires all were looking towards the far end of the clearing, as if they were waiting for something...or someone.  
  
Then he arrived.  
  
The creature that emerged from the shadows was no ordinary vampire. Hideously misshapen, his skin was as pale as new-fallen snow, and his visage was clearly demonic with pointed teeth and long fangs. His hands ended in claws, clearly visible as he crossed his arms in front of his leather-clad body.  
  
Willow bit her lip to keep from gasping. It was the Master. But how could that be possible? Buffy had killed him on prom night their sophomore year. His minions, including the juvenile Anointed One had kidnapped Willow and others in an attempt to resurrect him with some ceremony. Buffy had stopped them again, that time for good. She'd ground his bones to make her bread. Well, more ground his bones just to grind 'em, 'cause the bread part was just plain icky. Who'd want to eat vampire-bone-bread?  
  
Willow brought herself back to the task at hand. Sometimes, she had far too many thoughts.   
  
Okay, the Master was apparently alive and back in Sunnydale, trying to...resurrect something? Summon a demon, maybe? But why would he need dynamite? Willow shook her head. Nothing seemed to make any sense.  
  
Legolas stared at the ancient vampire and his minions, trying to formulate a plan. How were he and Willow, unarmed, going to defeat a dozen vampires and an evil vampire master? He was a strong, experienced warrior, but even he could not hope to win against such insurmountable odds. Even with Willow's help, they were hopelessly outnumbered and outclassed.  
  
He immediately stiffened, staying completely still as he heard the leaves crackle as more vampires walked through the forest behind him. He motioned to Willow, silently telling the witch to be quiet and still.  
  
Their caution was for naught, as they were directly in the vampires' path, no way for them to move without being noticed.  
  
"What do we have here?" One of the vamps growled. "Trespassers. Here to disrupt the ceremony, no doubt." He laughed evilly. "We'll see about that."  
  
Willow and Legolas exchanged a look. They were in trouble. 


	7. The Abyss Stares Back

Chapter 6 -- The Abyss Stares Back  
  
The first vampire who tried to escort them down to where the Master waited had been in for a shock.  
  
Willow shoved a tree branch through his heart, turning him to dust. The second vampire merely stared in shock at the dissipating body, leaving Legolas free to stake him as well. He and Willow fought fiercely, but they were vastly outnumbered when the vampires who had been in the clearing came to assist. After that, they were quickly subdued and led down to where the Master stood.  
  
"Look, my children." He gestured to the vampires around him, pointing to Willow and Legolas. "These are our enemies. Warriors for good. Pathetic, aren't they?"  
  
He turned to Willow, staring as if he could see into her very soul, down to the dark place that she'd been suppressing all summer. The dark magic still lived inside her, threatening to break out, overwhelm her, and make her lose control.  
  
She forced herself to focus, though it seemed as if the Master were reaching inside of her, pulling on the evil she'd taken in during her desperate quest for revenge. She had to concentrate, stay in control and think. There had to be a way out of this. Even if they couldn't defeat him tonight, she and Legolas had to survive to warn Buffy and the others. She and Legolas had to survive, period. Now that she'd found her soulmate, she wasn't about to let him go.  
  
"You should be mine," The Master growled. "You were mine. Then that brat of a carpenter found you and brought you back to the light, to the side of good. Please. Who do you think you're kidding. You're not good. You've got so much power that you don't have to be. Good and evil are terms created by the powerless to give meaning to their wretched lives; they mean nothing to creatures like us."  
  
"I'm not like you." Willow's voice wavered, but her convictions held firm. She caught Legolas's eyes, drinking in his silent show of support. He believed in her. She could do no less. "I'm not evil. I've faced the darkness and won. You may be able to kill me, but you can't change me. I'm stronger than that. I will not surrender to the darkness. You have no power over me."  
  
The Master shrugged, walking over to where his captives stood, held immobile by the legion of minion vampires. "I have no power over you?" he laughed. "We'll see." He looked at Legolas, staring as if he were starving for next meal. He'd see how much pain it would take to send her over the edge again.  
  
He turned his back, walking away from the gathering crowd. "Kill the elf. Drain him dry, then, to be certain he's dead... cut off his head."  
  
"No!" she yelled, struggling against her vampire captors. In the midst of it all, she stared into Legolas' emotion-filled eyes. Wisdom, pain, longing, and the realization that they could not escape were evident in their blue depths.  
  
Willow watched helplessly as two vamps moved in, fangs bared. Not again. Goddess, not again. She couldn't watch someone she loved die. She had to do something, anything. She had to save him.  
  
The magic built up inside her, and she felt her eyes grow black with the force of her fury. No one was going to kill her love. Not this time.  
  
With a scream, she let loose. Magic radiated out from her body in thick waves, obliterating all evil in its path. The vampires didn't have time to run, to shout, as the mystical fire consumed them. They simply ceased to exist, their ashes in the wind the only sign they had ever been there.  
  
Legolas sank to the ground as the vamps who had been supporting his battered body were dispersed into the air. In seconds, the only things left in the clearing were Willow, Legolas - and surprisingly enough, the Master.  
  
Which meant he wasn't an ordinary vampire, Willow concluded. Destroying him was going to be much harder.  
  
The Master clapped. "Very good, child. You're learning quickly. You'll serve me well."  
  
"You're not the Master," she stated. What the hell was he? she wondered.  
  
"Such a talent for stating the obvious," he smirked. "What I am, you'll find out soon enough. This is far from over."  
  
With a shimmer, the Master disappeared, leaving Willow and Legolas alone in the clearing, staring at the space where he had been.  
  
Willow moved first, walking over to Legolas and holding out her hand. The elf scrambled to his feet, enveloping her in a firm hug. She pushed him away just far enough to see his face, staring into his eyes before pulling him down for a kiss.  
  
Their mouths fused, tongues dueling wildly, hands roaming over each others bodies. Right now, all Willow wanted to do is drag him down to the forest floor and make love with him, to celebrate their continuing lives.  
  
Despite their brush with death, Legolas had never been happier than at that moment. Willow, the only woman he'd truly loved in his thousands of years of life, was in his arms. She wanted him as desperately as he wanted her.   
  
No, he cautioned himself, this wasn't right. He didn't love her...couldn't. Loving leads to nothing but pain and death, he reminded himself. Nothing good could come of any sort of relationship with his beautiful witch.  
  
He cautiously extricated himself from her embrace, staunchly ignoring the hurt look on her face. She was young, and human. She'd get over it and move on. He, on the other hand, would take her memories with him for eternity.  
  
Willow frowned as he pushed her away. The look on his face... it was regret, she realized. He regretted their kiss... no, even more than that he regretted their emotional closeness. She felt tears begin to well up in her eyes. After all they'd been through, he didn't want her. She wanted him to stay here in Sunnydale, to stay with her, but she knew he wouldn't. He was going to leave her.  
  
Legolas turned away, unable to bear the pain on her face any longer. "Let us head back to the cabin, before another evil force tries for our lives," he suggested, heading out of the clearing in the direction they'd come from.  
  
Willow wiped back a falling tear, and slowly followed him through the trees. 


	8. Sweet Sorrow

Author's Notes: Well, this is it, the end of "In the Forests of the Night." Many thanks to all the people who have helped beta the story: Sin, Valerie, Carol, Canada, Janetria, Red, and Darlene.   
  
Also, a big thank you to everyone who's left me feedback for the story. I'm glad people are enjoying it.  
  
****  
  
Chapter 7 - Sweet Sorrow  
  
They'd returned to the cabin, walking slowly in silence. Neither one of them wanted their journey to end, for the both knew that these would be their last moments together. They stood in front of the cabin, both unwilling to take the final step and walk inside.  
  
Willow surreptitiously glanced at the elf beside her. She felt the connection between them, stronger than anything she'd ever felt. He was the one she was meant to be with.   
  
She sniffled. It seemed that it was not to be. He was so alone, separate from the world, isolated from what was left of his people. And, it seemed, he liked living that way, or else he wouldn't be leaving her.   
  
But whatever he felt, or said, she couldn't let this moment go without trying. "Come with me."  
  
Legolas simply stared. She couldn't ask such things of him. "Willow..."  
  
"Come back to Sunnydale with me," she reiterated.  
  
He shook his head. "I cannot."  
  
"Why not? Can you give me one good reason, one really good reason for you to stay here by yourself?"  
  
He closed his eyes, fighting against the impulse to return with her to her world, her friends... but he could not take the risk.  
  
Willow marched over to him and took his chin in her hand, forcing him to look her in the eyes. "You have a choice. You can either stay here, and continue on the way you have, hunting the monsters of this world alone. That's the safe thing to do. You don't have to risk anything, protect yourself from becoming emotionally involved with anyone in the world. Oops... I guess you broke that rule because what I'm feeling, it's involvement. I care about you, Legolas, and I don't want you spending the rest of your immortal life empty and alone."  
  
"You have no idea what it's like..."  
  
"To lose the people you care about? I live on the Hellmouth, remember? I've lost people I love... more people than I care to think about."  
  
"Willow." How could he make her understand? "I do not mean to belittle your grief, for I know it is close to your heart. But how many people have you lost? One, two, a half a dozen? I've lost my parents, my family, my friends ... people I'd known for over millenia. Everyone I have ever loved is gone and my heart still mourns thousands of years after their deaths. The curse of my immortality is to walk the earth alone, knowing that everyone I encounter will die in a brief time. My heart cannot take the pain, cannot bear the loss." He turned away from her, fighting back the tears that threatened to fall. "Leave me be, for I am not strong enough to survive the loss of another person that I love."  
  
Willow walked around in front of him and put her arms around his waist, resting her head on his chest and massaging his back in a soothing motion. "I'm so sorry. I didn't know..."  
  
"I do not belong in your world."  
  
Willow reached up, one hand behind his head and pulled him down into a kiss. Her lips caressed his, first gently, then harder and faster, her tongue seeking entrance to his mouth. Legolas returned her kiss, pouring all of his passion for her into this one moment.  
  
Slowly, they broke apart, and with one, last kiss, Willow walked away. "Will I ever see you again?"  
  
Legolas didn't know what to say. Deep in his heart, he wanted to see her again, but he couldn't. Already he knew he would be devastated when he finally lost her. He could not imagine the pain that would come after he'd spent a human lifetime with her in his arms. Perhaps enough to cause him to waste away to nothingness because of his broken heart.  
  
Unable to find the strength to answer her aloud, he simply shook his head, slowly backing away until he blended into the forest and disappeared from her sight.  
  
Willow stood still, unable to take her eyes off the spot where he'd last been seen. Tears ran down her face as she cried for herself, for him, for the love that never would be. Then, silently, she turned and exited the forest.  
  
****  
  
In the darkness, the shimmer appeared once more, this time forming itself into the image of a young woman, a deposed hell goddess with wavy blonde hair.  
  
"They couldn't stop me," she murmured. "No one can stop me now."  
  
She scanned the ground, looking for the evil object she'd sought for so long. The ring gleamed in the moonlight, peeking out from the dirt in which is sat. "There you are," Glory called. "Come to momma."  
  
If only she had form, could hold it in her hand. But she was still incorporeal. For now.  
  
Glory smiled as she felt the presence behind her. The meddling elf and witch thought they'd won, but they had no idea of her true plan.  
  
A man stepped out from behind her, his white robe gleaming despite the night, his grey-white hair cascading over his shoulders.  
  
"Welcome, Saruman, to my new world. The time of evil is at hand." She gestured towards the ring. "Claim your reward and take your place at my side."  
  
He smirked, surveying the land on which he found himself. Evil was strong here, permeating the ground, the trees, they very air he breathed. He tasted evil, and found that it was indeed good as she'd promised.  
  
"Tonight," Glory vowed. "Is only the beginning."  
  
****  
  
Foreshadowing much? Coming up: "Always Darkest" (Angel/Andromeda/Dracula: the Series/LotR), and "Before the Dawn" (Buffy/LotR/Andromeda) -- two concurrent stories that continue the tale begun here. 


	9. Sneak Preview of the Sequels

For everyone who had been asking, "When are Buffy and the gang going to enter the story?" and eveyrone who said they couldn't wait for more... this sneak preview is for you... I've got the first parts posted of the sequels, "Always Darkest" (the Angel story) and "Before the Dawn" (the Buffy story, with more angst ahead for Willow and Legolas). But read ahead if you really want to know what's going to happen. Beware of cliffhangers, though. I'm evil.  
  
***From "Before the Dawn"***  
  
Getting up, Dawn headed over to the front door and peered through the window. A tall man with long blonde hair was leaning against the doorjamb. Hmm... He didn't look demony. In fact, he looked like quite the muffin. "Hi," she said as she opened the door.   
  
"Willow," he gasped, slumping to the ground halfway inside the door.  
  
"Buffy! Willow!" Dawn yelled frantically.   
  
Buffy and Willow ran in from the kitchen at Dawn's shout.  
  
"What's going on?" Buffy asked, stopping abruptly at the sight of the body halfway in her house. "You killed somebody?"  
  
"Legolas!" Willow exclaimed. "Get him inside." She wiped the sweat off of Legolas's face, but the elf didn't open his eyes. "Come on," she urged him. "You have to wake up. You have to tell me what did this so I can figure out how to make it better."  
  
****  
  
"Thousands of years ago, the Dark Lord Sauron mounted an attempt to conquer the world. Legolas was part of the Fellowship that journeyed to the land of Mordor to destroy Sauron's weapon, the One Ring, an enchanted ring with the ability to enslave all the people of the earth." Giles explained.  
  
Ring. The dark lord had a ring. And now there was an evil, magical ring sitting in a box in her living room. Buffy gulped. Could be a coincidence, she hoped fervently. "Uh, Giles? I don't think it's quite as destroyed as history says it was," she said hesitantly.  
  
"What?" Giles exclaimed. How could she even know about the One Ring? Buffy had to be mistaken. Any other idea was too horrible to contemplate.  
  
"I think it's in my living room."  
  
Good Lord, Buffy was right, Giles thought. The One Ring, long thought destroyed had resurfaced on the Hellmouth, in the hands of an elf. If the Ring still existed, what of the Dark Lord Sauron? He had survived after the first battle because the ring remained. Could he still be alive, planning his return to full power? Willow would be a fine addition to his legions of evil, if the ring could corrupt her into darkness. "It spoke to her, tempted her," he said knowingly.  
  
"But she resisted. She's not corrupted," Buffy protested. Willow was okay. She hadn't gone all dark-haired black-magic woman. She'd resisted.  
  
"This time." Giles uttered the words they both were thinking. "Willow is a good person at her core, but she's shown an ability to be tempted by evil beyond that with which she can stand. The last time she lost someone she loved…"  
  
"She went all crazed, black-magic, killing people and destroying the world, I know." Didn't he know that Buffy was the last person who needed to be reminded of Willow's past?  
  
"If we can't find the cure for the poison, if Legolas dies…" Giles shuddered.  
  
"You think she'll use the ring."  
  
"If she does, the world will be doomed."   
  
***From "Always Darkest"***  
  
Laughing, Angel, Fred, Gunn and Lorne walked back into the Hyperion. Though the trip to Vegas had been much more adventurous than anyone had ever expected, things had worked out in the end. They were safe, they were together, and finally, they were home.  
  
Angel stopped suddenly, staring. Was he hallucinating, or was the Cordelia really right in front of him?  
  
Fred bumped into Angel as he stopped dead in his tracks. Her laughter trailed off as she realized he wasn't moving. What was going on? She peered out around him, her jaw dropping as she realized what he had seen. "Cordelia? You're back." Angel was still unmoving, unable to believe she was really there in front of him.  
  
"I'm back," she smiled. "Not exactly sure where I'm back from, though… My memory's a little foggy on that point."  
  
"Uh, Cordy," Fred began hesitantly. "You were missing for months."  
  
"Months? I was gone for months?" She was shocked, unable to believe what they were telling her. "Where could I have been? I mean, didn't you guys look for me?"  
  
"We did...all summer," Fred stammered. "Until Wesley rescued Angel from the bottom of the ocean, and he stole the Axis of Pythia - Angel, not Wesley stole the axis, from this rude electric girl who killed Charles - and he, that is Angel, used the Axis of Pythia to find you on a higher plane."  
  
Cordy turned to Angel. "Is it just me, or did she not make any sense?"  
  
Cordelia groaned. She was starting to get a headache. She rubbed her temples, praying to whatever deity was out there that the pain would… vision! She was having a vision. She gasped. Though nearly pain-free compared to her previous psychic migraines, her "gift" from The Powers That Be still packed quite a punch.  
  
As the images passed through her mind, she grew increasingly confused. What the…? This didn't make any sense. People falling from the sky? How would people even get in the sky? And afterwards, chaos, blood, and death. Rain of fire, eternal night… and death. Death everywhere, unless they could stop… she couldn't see it, couldn't make out exactly what they were supposed to stop.  
  
****  
  
Beka opened her eyes as she felt herself falling. What the hell was going on? The Maru was missing, she was in the sky over a planet, and she was falling fast, without any anti-grav equipment to break her fall.  
  
"I hate planets," she murmured. Beka kept her gun at the ready as she surveyed the alley.   
  
"Well, look what we have here," said a man from the entrance to the alley. As he stepped under the streetlight, Beka realized he wasn't human. He had ridges on his forehead, and very sharp-looking teeth...almost like fangs. He opened his arms wide, making himself a perfect target. "Go ahead, babe. Shoot me."  
  
She hesitated, and he lunged at Beka, almost too quickly for her to see. She landed flat on her back, with him on top of her, her gun pointed directly at his heart. "Go ahead," he said. "Make my day."  
  
Beka pulled the trigger, scorch marks from her gun spreading over her attacker's chest. She pushed him off of her, jumping to her feet and leaving the dead body behind her. No one could survive a point-blank Gauss Gun blast through the heart. Unless...  
  
A look of horror crossed her face as she felt a hand on her neck. Had she landed on a planet of people invulnerable to gunfire? She gasped in pain as she was gripped harder, her body pulled back until she was flush against her attacker's body. "That wasn't very nice," he growled in her ear, his sharp teeth scraping along the tender flesh of her neck.  
  
Beka began to hyperventilate. She'd landed on a planet of evil, flesh-eating, gun-proof monsters. She was going to die.  
  
"I think it's dinner time," the he snarled, leaning in closer to Beka's neck.  
  
Rebecca Valentine closed her eyes and prepared to die.  
  
****  
  
Wanna know what happens next? Read "Always Darkest" and "Before the Dawn," currently being posted here. 


End file.
